Fire the Belly 003

This is part three already of my new weekly health related post, Fire the Belly. Every week I will write an update on physical and mental health, sports, and food and how I fire up my belly to burn (pun intended) some fat.

This week I’ve practiced all three jiu jitsu sessions I scheduled (well, I plan to do the third tomorrow) and lifted weights only once. Still, four out of six sessions is not bad!

Sports

I should lift more weights. That’s what went through my mind last Thursday morning when I tried to throw some barbells around! The old saying is true. The iron never lies.

If you’re weak, the iron knows. It not only knows it, it lets you feel it. It destroys you. Until you get better at it. Powerlifting and weightlifting are perhaps the most objective activities in the world. You either lift the weight, or you don’t.

This week, my body really protested. It’s been a while since I hit the gym real good, and with all the travel and the fact I only recently started practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu means my gym schedule suffered. And with it, my strength.

Luckily, jiu jitsu is going fine. I’ve practiced on Tuesday and Friday night and will practice tomorrow (Sunday) as well. Every day I’m feeling a little better on the mats, slowly connecting the dots of this incredibly complex sports.

Even though I’m still an absolute beginner and I don’t know even 1%, there are some patterns I’m starting to recognise. And when rolling (sparring) with guys close to my level I can sometimes manage to score a submission. My favourite move to submit an opponent right now is the Americana, a type of shoulder lock that can be applied from either the mount position or side control position.

Next to my regular practice in martial arts and lifting I cycled to my parent’s place over the long weekend. As a Dutch guy I won’t brag about the cycling itself, but rather that I usually take the car and now choose to ride there, a 20 km (~12 miles) 50 minutes trip.

Food

My food intake this week was mostly on-point, except for one night where we went out for fast food instead of preparing a healthy dinner ourselves. The other days were all full of vegetables and other healthy stuff.

Over Easter I attended a party where I may have consumed some alcohol, but other than that I’ven not consumed any alcohol the rest of the week so that’s good.

Mental Health

I was able to practice meditation most days this week, skipping it only once or twice. Next to that, I should sleep a bit more. Lately I’ve been feeling tired, even during the day, which isn’t a good sign.

I am able to withstand a lot of stress and long hours (comes in handy in consulting + running a blog + hosting a podcast), but sleep is essential so I will focus a bit more on that to see if it makes a difference.

How did your health look like this week? Let me know in the comments below.

Haha, I always say “the iron never lies” and it’s true, but the best quote I heard lately was someone talking about the “mats of justice” referring to the Brazilian jiu jitsu mats. Damn, that’s true! What kind of regime do you follow?

Disclaimer

I’m not a financial advisor, nor am I an expert in anything I write on this site. I’m merely an enthusiastic individual documenting his road to financial independence.

I might write about investments I make, or other (financial) choices. These are intended only to document the way I look at things.

You always have to do your own research, and by no means can I ever been held liable for any damage or loss you suffered because of things you’ve read here. Always make you own decisions or consult a proper financial adviser!

I hope you enjoy the read, and that your path to financial independence goes well!